Altitudeminder

Throw away those old mechanical altitude bugs. AltitudeMinder replaces those bugs with the Global Positioning Service (GPS) functionality of the iPhone/iPad and goes further than the old mechanical bugs by notifying the pilot when she is deviating from a target altitude. This functionality is particularly important in controlled airspace, while under ATC direction and while on IFR flight plans.

Designed by, and for use by, pilots, AltitudeMinder alerts the pilot when she is deviating from a target/assigned altitude and shows the pilot via on screen graphic display the proper corrective action to take. The app also can be used without graphics by vibrating when the pilot deviates from the target altitude.

AltitudeMinder uses the internal GPS functionality of the iPhone/iPad to determine the current plane altitude. The altitude is displayed in an altitude tape format now used in glass cockpits and allows various bugs to be set. The bugs include a warning low and high altitude and a do not exceed low and high altitude. The altitude bugs are color coded for easy use and the directional guidance is similarly color coded.

An altitude tape format is used to make altitude selections.

App Features:

• Efficient user interface with easy to read color scheme
• All settings use altitude tape format for easy use – a keyboard is not necessary
• Target altitude can be set before flight
• Two sets of altitude bugs can be set (warning and exceeds altitudes)
• Exceeds altitudes cannot be set inside warning altitudes
• No exceeds or warning altitudes can be set to violate target altitude
• Each altitude bug can be set independently
• Altitude bugs offset will follow any change in target altitude
• App will remember setting from previous use upon reopening
• Visual direction plus text commands to maintain target altitude
• Can use vibration functionality on iPhone to notify pilot
• Can be set in 50 feet or meter increments
• Can be set to disable device sleep mode
• Change units to reflect either U.S. or metric units Used Units:

App Limitations:

• GPS information from the iPhone/iPad has inherent inaccuracies
• Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life
• App does not use barometric altitude and is not FAA approved, so it can only be used as supplemental flight information and cannot be used as a primary flight instrument
• GPS altitude information may be unavailable unless the iPhone or iPad has an adequate view of at least four satellites
• Flight levels and assigned altitudes are based on the barometric pressure setting used by air traffic control and may result in differences in altitude from the GPS altitude
• AltitudeMinder will not work on iPods or other devices that do not include a GPS (location) feature or in which it is not operational
• When target altitude is changed, may result in negative altitude which will need to be reset manually
• Units are set in 50 unit increments without any ability to change them to higher/lower unit increments
• Does not currently use the barometric pressure functionality of iPhone 6 or later iPhones

Notes and Requirements:

• AltitudeMinder is not an FAA approved flight instrument and is not intended to replace any FAA approved flight instrument
• All altitudes are set according to the GPS altitude, not the barometric pressure altitude and there could be substantial variance from GPS altitude and barometric altitude
• Barometric altitude is the only FAA approved altitude.
• AltitudeMinder is to be used solely as a supplement to other approved altitude instruments on the airplane and should never be used as a substitute for any navigation instrument
• Always consult with the Aircraft Manufacturer’s FAA Approved Aircraft Manual, FAA Approved Minimum Equipment Lists for the Aircraft, FAA Websites and publications, and individual company or aircraft owner policies

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].